Sept. 13, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
No State of the Union September 14 and September 15
Union meeting is Wednesday, Sept. 15 at 1 pm, 3 pm and 15 minutes after the longest first shift line time.
UAW-GM LifeSteps will be doing cholesterol screening in the cafeteria Tuesday, Sept. 14 from 8 am – noon and 1 pm – 5 pm and Wednesday, Sept. 15 from 8 am – noon and 2 pm – 4 pm. This screening is fasting and non-fasting.
The Make-A-Wish golf tournament is in need of teams. The tournament is a 4-person scramble Sunday, October 3 at the Golf Club of Wentzville with a 1 pm shotgun start. The price is $70 person/$280 team. There will be a putting competition hosted by GMAC from 11:30 to noon and lunch will be served from noon to 1 pm. Beverages will be served on the course during the tournament. Contact Mike Bridgins (x2112), George Herina (x2118) or Jeremiah Troutman at 314-971-1087 if you are interested.
From Automotive News: In a dozen ways, aftershocks from the new-car sales debacle are reshaping the used-car business. Asbury Automotive COO Michael Kearney says most buyers trade in vehicles at about 40 months. So the shortage of used vehicles will worsen as the post-Lehman sales crash ages, he says. "A year from now, or perhaps two years from now, this will be a much more important question than it is today," Kearney says. At Gerald Jones Honda in Augusta, Ga., owner Andy Jones says used models are becoming alarmingly scarce. "I normally sell 200 used vehicles a month," Jones says. "Lately it's been hard to find that many. There are weeks when my man goes to auction to buy inventory and comes home with just two or three vehicles. It's a huge problem." Jones recently traded for a 2004 Buick Century with 70,000 miles. The dealership paid $6,000 for it, installed new brakes and tires and made a few minor changes and is now asking $8,500 for it. Says Jones: "Three years ago, that would've been a $2,500 car.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
State of the Union September 10, 2010
Sept. 10, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
From the shop floor: Brother Scott Riley in body shop wants to announce a charity BBQ to benefit Backstoppers, an organization that supports fallen law enforcement officers and their families. The BBQ will be at Bissill Hills Shopping Center, Chambers and Bellefontaine Road from 10:30 am to 6 pm, Saturday the 11th. Ribs, chicken, burgers, sandwiches and plates will be sold. Brother Riley's son, Michael, is an officer with the Bellefontaine Neighbors Police Department. Please support this worthy cause if you are in the area tomorrow.
Reminder: If you haven’t scheduled all of your vacation time (VP) you need to do so. All unused VP hours are subject to forfeiture. You can get up to 40 hours pay-in-lieu for your unused VR time. When scheduling time off, keep in mind that the Veteran’s Day observance is moved from Monday Nov. 15 to Wednesday, Nov. 24.
There is some confusion and disappointment about the new structure of employee pricing on new vehicles. Let’s look at an example:
A 2010 Chevy Silverado – 2wd, ext. cab, 5.3 V8, 6 speed auto – stickers for $33,060. The preferred price (which replaces the old GMS price) is $31,148. The employee vehicle allowance (EVA – a new component designed to make up the difference between the old GMS price and the new preferred price) is $1500, bringing the total to $29,648.
There is a $5000 rebate on the truck, which makes a final price of $24,648, or around 25% off. The preferred price is only around a 3-5% discount from the sticker, so cash back will dictate the final discount. A hot seller like the Chevy Equinox listing for $28,965 is final priced at $27,751 as there is only $250 EVA and no rebates. You can go to www.gmfamilyfirst.com for more details.
From the shop floor: Brother Scott Riley in body shop wants to announce a charity BBQ to benefit Backstoppers, an organization that supports fallen law enforcement officers and their families. The BBQ will be at Bissill Hills Shopping Center, Chambers and Bellefontaine Road from 10:30 am to 6 pm, Saturday the 11th. Ribs, chicken, burgers, sandwiches and plates will be sold. Brother Riley's son, Michael, is an officer with the Bellefontaine Neighbors Police Department. Please support this worthy cause if you are in the area tomorrow.
Reminder: If you haven’t scheduled all of your vacation time (VP) you need to do so. All unused VP hours are subject to forfeiture. You can get up to 40 hours pay-in-lieu for your unused VR time. When scheduling time off, keep in mind that the Veteran’s Day observance is moved from Monday Nov. 15 to Wednesday, Nov. 24.
There is some confusion and disappointment about the new structure of employee pricing on new vehicles. Let’s look at an example:
A 2010 Chevy Silverado – 2wd, ext. cab, 5.3 V8, 6 speed auto – stickers for $33,060. The preferred price (which replaces the old GMS price) is $31,148. The employee vehicle allowance (EVA – a new component designed to make up the difference between the old GMS price and the new preferred price) is $1500, bringing the total to $29,648.
There is a $5000 rebate on the truck, which makes a final price of $24,648, or around 25% off. The preferred price is only around a 3-5% discount from the sticker, so cash back will dictate the final discount. A hot seller like the Chevy Equinox listing for $28,965 is final priced at $27,751 as there is only $250 EVA and no rebates. You can go to www.gmfamilyfirst.com for more details.
State of the Union September 9, 2010
Sept. 9, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
From President Dan Howell: The GimmeFIVE program is underway and we are working towards our goal of signing up 20% of our local union/retiree membership. GimmeFIVE, as UAW President Bob King explained, simply asks members to re-commit to the union by devoting five hours of volunteer time in the following areas: organizing, mobilizing, and political action. Members are also asked to recruit five members to do the same. Members who complete each segment will receive recognition buttons. You can sign up by going to www.gimmefiveuaw.org. It only takes a minute. The website also gives you information on how to log your hours.
Another issue highlighted this past Labor Day is the strike underway at a Mott’s applesauce/juice plant in Williamson, New York. On May 23rd, over 300 workers of UFCW Local 220 were forced out on strike when management imposed pay cuts of $1.50 an hour, a pension freeze, significant increases in health insurance premiums and other severe cuts. All this despite a profit of $555 million for parent company Dr. Pepper Snapple last year. To show support for these members you can choose alternatives to the following products: Motts applesauce, Fruitsations and Garden Cocktail; Hawaiian Punch, Mr. and Mrs. T products, Holland House mixers, Clamato, Margaritaville and Snapple cans.
From Wards Auto World: A bankruptcy court this week rejected a last-minute $3 million offer from a Belgian company to buy a former General Motors Co. transmission plant in eastern France, deciding a 1 euro ($1.27) buy-back offer from the auto maker is a better deal. Management reportedly is telling employees at the GM Strasbourg factory the sale could be final by the end of the month. Belgium’s Punch Corp. has 15 days to appeal the Sept. 7 decision on its offer with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
Final part of the Rebuild America agenda:
Rebuild America by ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
The dollar cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan now exceeds $1 trillion; the cost in lives is incalculable. Just last month, the U.S. Senate approved an additional $60 billion in funding for war, after first stripping out $20 billion in domestic spending that would, among other things, have prevented teacher layoffs. The insidious effect of these two wars on our national priorities could not be clearer. It’s past time to end them.
Can we afford to rebuild America?
We can’t afford not to. More than three quarters of the increase in the federal budget deficit since the end of 2007 is a direct result of the recession. As employment increases, that gap will close. Even deficit hawks such as David Walker (CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation) agree that job creation must take precedence over balancing the budget in the short term.
In the longer term, we can begin to get our fiscal house in order by allowing the Bush-era tax cuts for the rich to expire as scheduled at the end of this year and ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows that those two factors – on top of the economic downturn – account for virtually the entire projected federal deficit over the next ten years.
New revenue sources – including, for example, a tax on financial transactions – could also be tapped to fund needed investments without squeezing other domestic spending or increasing the long-term deficit. The U.K. has a small tax on stock trades, and it raises nearly 0.3 percent of GDP – the equivalent of $40 billion in the U.S. Extending the tax to options, futures, credit default swaps and other derivatives could easily double that amount, and would have the added virtue of slowing the breakneck pace of speculation. It’s only fitting that Wall Street, after causing so much destruction, should be asked to contribute to the cost of reconstruction.
From President Dan Howell: The GimmeFIVE program is underway and we are working towards our goal of signing up 20% of our local union/retiree membership. GimmeFIVE, as UAW President Bob King explained, simply asks members to re-commit to the union by devoting five hours of volunteer time in the following areas: organizing, mobilizing, and political action. Members are also asked to recruit five members to do the same. Members who complete each segment will receive recognition buttons. You can sign up by going to www.gimmefiveuaw.org. It only takes a minute. The website also gives you information on how to log your hours.
Another issue highlighted this past Labor Day is the strike underway at a Mott’s applesauce/juice plant in Williamson, New York. On May 23rd, over 300 workers of UFCW Local 220 were forced out on strike when management imposed pay cuts of $1.50 an hour, a pension freeze, significant increases in health insurance premiums and other severe cuts. All this despite a profit of $555 million for parent company Dr. Pepper Snapple last year. To show support for these members you can choose alternatives to the following products: Motts applesauce, Fruitsations and Garden Cocktail; Hawaiian Punch, Mr. and Mrs. T products, Holland House mixers, Clamato, Margaritaville and Snapple cans.
From Wards Auto World: A bankruptcy court this week rejected a last-minute $3 million offer from a Belgian company to buy a former General Motors Co. transmission plant in eastern France, deciding a 1 euro ($1.27) buy-back offer from the auto maker is a better deal. Management reportedly is telling employees at the GM Strasbourg factory the sale could be final by the end of the month. Belgium’s Punch Corp. has 15 days to appeal the Sept. 7 decision on its offer with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.
Final part of the Rebuild America agenda:
Rebuild America by ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
The dollar cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan now exceeds $1 trillion; the cost in lives is incalculable. Just last month, the U.S. Senate approved an additional $60 billion in funding for war, after first stripping out $20 billion in domestic spending that would, among other things, have prevented teacher layoffs. The insidious effect of these two wars on our national priorities could not be clearer. It’s past time to end them.
Can we afford to rebuild America?
We can’t afford not to. More than three quarters of the increase in the federal budget deficit since the end of 2007 is a direct result of the recession. As employment increases, that gap will close. Even deficit hawks such as David Walker (CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation) agree that job creation must take precedence over balancing the budget in the short term.
In the longer term, we can begin to get our fiscal house in order by allowing the Bush-era tax cuts for the rich to expire as scheduled at the end of this year and ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows that those two factors – on top of the economic downturn – account for virtually the entire projected federal deficit over the next ten years.
New revenue sources – including, for example, a tax on financial transactions – could also be tapped to fund needed investments without squeezing other domestic spending or increasing the long-term deficit. The U.K. has a small tax on stock trades, and it raises nearly 0.3 percent of GDP – the equivalent of $40 billion in the U.S. Extending the tax to options, futures, credit default swaps and other derivatives could easily double that amount, and would have the added virtue of slowing the breakneck pace of speculation. It’s only fitting that Wall Street, after causing so much destruction, should be asked to contribute to the cost of reconstruction.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
State of the Union September 8, 2010
Sept. 8, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
There will be a CAP Committee meeting and a Union Label Committee meeting today after first shift at the Union Hall.
From Automotive News: General Motors plans to begin courting investors for its initial public stock offering immediately after the Nov. 2 midterm congressional elections, two sources familiar with the plans told Reuters. GM's roadshow is to begin Nov. 3 and last two weeks, the sources said. The IPO is expected to be priced on Nov. 17 and debut Nov. 18, they said. They cautioned that the plans were still being completed and could change based on how U.S. stock markets perform.
From the Detroit Free Press: Joe Ashton, 62, (UAW Vice President and head of the GM department) spearheaded the UAW's crucial effort to add numbers by organizing more than 6,000 casino workers in Atlantic City, N.J. One of those casinos even ratified a contract -- the first for the casino workers. Now, Ashton has responsibility for another UAW priority: negotiating a new General Motors contract next fall. "Right now, my approach is, 'General Motors is going to be successful,' " Ashton said. Still, "what I hope to accomplish is to negotiate a contract that is beneficial to our members and also continues to make the company competitive." Ashton has been a part of the UAW since 1969, when he joined the 3,000-member Local 1612 in Philadelphia. At 27, he became president of the local. "It was an experience that helped me throughout life," he said. "At that age I really wasn't prepared ... but I hope and think that I grew into the job."
In a bid to match Ford in the in-car technology race, On-Star will offer subscribers the “chance to have their Facebook and text messages read to them. Users will also be able to use voice commands to respond to Facebook and text messages” according to the Detroit Free Press. (experts are predicting that soon you’ll be able to actually speak real-time to another person).
Jobs, Justice and Peace Part 3
Rebuild America by investing in our cities, infrastructure, industry and people
In the midst of this crisis, we have an opportunity to rebuild our industrial economy on a more just and sustainable basis. Investing in revitalized cities, modern infrastructure, “green” industries and workforce skills is an investment in our country’s future.
Upgrade and modernize our nation’s infrastructure, with special attention to the needs of urban areas. From the levees that failed to protect the people of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina to the catastrophic bridge collapse in Minneapolis to the time lost each day traveling over congested and potholed freeways, the human and economic cost of neglecting our nation’s infrastructure is painfully clear. Repairing our 20th century is a massive undertaking in and of itself – but we need to do even more, and build an infrastructure for the 21st century and beyond. The oil spreading over the Gulf of Mexico this spring and summer dramatized the need to invest in buildings, transportation systems and technologies that will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Investments in infrastructure create jobs directly and immediately, but they also increase our long-term productivity and competitiveness – and, if guided by goals of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, will help us address the challenge of global warming.
Retool manufacturing facilities to make the products of the future. Infrastructure repair and modernization will spur demand for a wide range of manufactured products, from solar panels to rail cars. So will the broader push for greater energy efficiency in our homes, our appliances and our vehicles. At the same time, manufacturing plants stand idle, and skilled manufacturing workers count the weeks until their unemployment benefits end as they search desperately for work. Smart public policies can end this disconnect by providing loans and other incentives to retool and reopen existing manufacturing facilities, and training to qualify workers for the jobs in green industries.
Ensure fair trade. We can’t continue to allow an unlevel field to drain jobs out of our country. A global race to the bottom hurts workers in the developed and developing worlds alike.
Rebuild America by guaranteeing justice for workers
Our economy is suffering not just from a shortage of jobs, but also a shortage of justice. The two are entwined. When workers’ rights are respected and the benefits of rising productivity are shared equitably, economic growth has a solid foundation. When they are not, economic growth is weak and unsustainable. The financial crisis that has so devastated our economy was, at bottom, the result of a lack of justice that led income gains to flow disproportionately to those at the top.
There is no better way to reduce poverty, no better way to keep families in their homes, no better way to strengthen our tax base, no better way to ensure that the jobs of the future are good jobs – than through the right to organize and bargain collectively.
There will be a CAP Committee meeting and a Union Label Committee meeting today after first shift at the Union Hall.
From Automotive News: General Motors plans to begin courting investors for its initial public stock offering immediately after the Nov. 2 midterm congressional elections, two sources familiar with the plans told Reuters. GM's roadshow is to begin Nov. 3 and last two weeks, the sources said. The IPO is expected to be priced on Nov. 17 and debut Nov. 18, they said. They cautioned that the plans were still being completed and could change based on how U.S. stock markets perform.
From the Detroit Free Press: Joe Ashton, 62, (UAW Vice President and head of the GM department) spearheaded the UAW's crucial effort to add numbers by organizing more than 6,000 casino workers in Atlantic City, N.J. One of those casinos even ratified a contract -- the first for the casino workers. Now, Ashton has responsibility for another UAW priority: negotiating a new General Motors contract next fall. "Right now, my approach is, 'General Motors is going to be successful,' " Ashton said. Still, "what I hope to accomplish is to negotiate a contract that is beneficial to our members and also continues to make the company competitive." Ashton has been a part of the UAW since 1969, when he joined the 3,000-member Local 1612 in Philadelphia. At 27, he became president of the local. "It was an experience that helped me throughout life," he said. "At that age I really wasn't prepared ... but I hope and think that I grew into the job."
In a bid to match Ford in the in-car technology race, On-Star will offer subscribers the “chance to have their Facebook and text messages read to them. Users will also be able to use voice commands to respond to Facebook and text messages” according to the Detroit Free Press. (experts are predicting that soon you’ll be able to actually speak real-time to another person).
Jobs, Justice and Peace Part 3
Rebuild America by investing in our cities, infrastructure, industry and people
In the midst of this crisis, we have an opportunity to rebuild our industrial economy on a more just and sustainable basis. Investing in revitalized cities, modern infrastructure, “green” industries and workforce skills is an investment in our country’s future.
Upgrade and modernize our nation’s infrastructure, with special attention to the needs of urban areas. From the levees that failed to protect the people of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina to the catastrophic bridge collapse in Minneapolis to the time lost each day traveling over congested and potholed freeways, the human and economic cost of neglecting our nation’s infrastructure is painfully clear. Repairing our 20th century is a massive undertaking in and of itself – but we need to do even more, and build an infrastructure for the 21st century and beyond. The oil spreading over the Gulf of Mexico this spring and summer dramatized the need to invest in buildings, transportation systems and technologies that will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Investments in infrastructure create jobs directly and immediately, but they also increase our long-term productivity and competitiveness – and, if guided by goals of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, will help us address the challenge of global warming.
Retool manufacturing facilities to make the products of the future. Infrastructure repair and modernization will spur demand for a wide range of manufactured products, from solar panels to rail cars. So will the broader push for greater energy efficiency in our homes, our appliances and our vehicles. At the same time, manufacturing plants stand idle, and skilled manufacturing workers count the weeks until their unemployment benefits end as they search desperately for work. Smart public policies can end this disconnect by providing loans and other incentives to retool and reopen existing manufacturing facilities, and training to qualify workers for the jobs in green industries.
Ensure fair trade. We can’t continue to allow an unlevel field to drain jobs out of our country. A global race to the bottom hurts workers in the developed and developing worlds alike.
Rebuild America by guaranteeing justice for workers
Our economy is suffering not just from a shortage of jobs, but also a shortage of justice. The two are entwined. When workers’ rights are respected and the benefits of rising productivity are shared equitably, economic growth has a solid foundation. When they are not, economic growth is weak and unsustainable. The financial crisis that has so devastated our economy was, at bottom, the result of a lack of justice that led income gains to flow disproportionately to those at the top.
There is no better way to reduce poverty, no better way to keep families in their homes, no better way to strengthen our tax base, no better way to ensure that the jobs of the future are good jobs – than through the right to organize and bargain collectively.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
State of the Union September 7, 2010
Sept. 7, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
On September 23, we will host a Make-A-Wish child in the plant. His name is Zechariah and he is 4 years old. He will have with him his parents Daniel and Kristina and his two brothers Payton, 8, and Caden, 6. The plan is to have a stop during his tour in each department and we are looking for donations for Zechariah and decorations to help make his day special. Zechariah’s wish of getting a swimming pool was recently granted and the family could use pool related items. He also likes John Deere tractors, cars, trucks – most anything with wheels. You can contact Mike Bridgins at 2112 or Wanda Richard at 2308 and drop any donations off at the Benefits office.
The Women’s Committee would like to thank everyone who helped run, participated in, or sponsored holes for the golf tournament. Over $1300 was raised for the Blue Rose home for disabled adults.
Here is the monthly sales report from Marketing Director Andrew Reytnjes:
A combination of factors caused a drop in sales/share.
Limited Retail Inventory
We can't sell what we do not have in stock. At the beginning of the month Retail stock translated to an average of 1 cargo van for every dealer, Passenger vans were limited to fewer than 300 and cutaways were also less than one per dealer.
To get an idea of our Retail inventory situation checkout Chevrolet.com or GMC.com and search for a Cargo or Passenger van and see how far you have to drive to find one to look at or test drive in your desired color, wheelbase and engine configuration.
Did Ford have a large number of deliveries to Fleet customers?
This is a real possibility. Unfortunately there is a month lag time until registration data is available. Since a couple of large Fleet deliveries to key customers can really move the needle in terms of share when there are only 2 players in the segment this can be an important factor. Every point of share gained means a gain of a single share point and a loss of another share point to the loser (net 2 points)
Diesel Availability
GMFCO likely will get a bounce as our recently released 2010i model diesels move through the Upfit process and are ultimately delivered. As you can see from the attached charts GM wins when it comes to Fleet cutaway business but there is a lag time as the ambulances, shuttle buses etc get their bodies upfit. A large block of these produced together under the existing inventory and pre-sold production levels can have a temporary delivery effect.
So What Are We Doing?
I thought you may be interested in a few of the activities that have been worked over the last month.
Incentives
While I cannot presently comment on some yet to be announced incentives we have made a conscious effort to be extremely (but responsibly) competitive. We have been working very closely with our Divisional Incentive teams to ensure that Express and Savana are included in planning. We have also made an effort to work with our ~500 Business Central Dealers who control about 80% of deliveries to ensure that excellent dealer programs are in place. We have incorporated feedback from our National Dealer Council and of course kept a close eye on what Ford is doing. Just yesterday we announced an incentive for Mobility Upfits. Last year Ford delivered 20,000 compared to our 250 mobility vehicles so we see this as a good opportunity. We are also encouraging dealers to equip and display vehicles for the small business person closer to the front of the dealership.
Marketing Events
We have launched our Marketing Promotional events and last month managed to meet close to 2,000 construction workers, contractors and tradesmen for lunch in Texas. We had excellent coordination with our dealer partners and Upfitters and are hopeful that this grassroots marketing directly with the customer will lead to greater consideration and sales. We participated at the Brickyard 400 with Chevrolet, sponsored and provided vans for the Chicago Breast cancer walk and have more events planned for next month that I will report to you then.
Product News
CNG Vans are now available to order and we are hoping to capture conquest sales with this new offering.
Marketing Materials
Be sure to take a look at our Savana and Express 2011MY Retail Catalogs and our Chevrolet and GMC Commercial Catalogs. We have expanded the number of pages and have included vocational appropriate photography and included cargo models to appeal to sole-trader small businesses. We have also created some additional sales materials to help push the benefits we have with our exclusive diesel and some obvious benefits we have over Transit-Connect.
On September 23, we will host a Make-A-Wish child in the plant. His name is Zechariah and he is 4 years old. He will have with him his parents Daniel and Kristina and his two brothers Payton, 8, and Caden, 6. The plan is to have a stop during his tour in each department and we are looking for donations for Zechariah and decorations to help make his day special. Zechariah’s wish of getting a swimming pool was recently granted and the family could use pool related items. He also likes John Deere tractors, cars, trucks – most anything with wheels. You can contact Mike Bridgins at 2112 or Wanda Richard at 2308 and drop any donations off at the Benefits office.
The Women’s Committee would like to thank everyone who helped run, participated in, or sponsored holes for the golf tournament. Over $1300 was raised for the Blue Rose home for disabled adults.
Here is the monthly sales report from Marketing Director Andrew Reytnjes:
A combination of factors caused a drop in sales/share.
Limited Retail Inventory
We can't sell what we do not have in stock. At the beginning of the month Retail stock translated to an average of 1 cargo van for every dealer, Passenger vans were limited to fewer than 300 and cutaways were also less than one per dealer.
To get an idea of our Retail inventory situation checkout Chevrolet.com or GMC.com and search for a Cargo or Passenger van and see how far you have to drive to find one to look at or test drive in your desired color, wheelbase and engine configuration.
Did Ford have a large number of deliveries to Fleet customers?
This is a real possibility. Unfortunately there is a month lag time until registration data is available. Since a couple of large Fleet deliveries to key customers can really move the needle in terms of share when there are only 2 players in the segment this can be an important factor. Every point of share gained means a gain of a single share point and a loss of another share point to the loser (net 2 points)
Diesel Availability
GMFCO likely will get a bounce as our recently released 2010i model diesels move through the Upfit process and are ultimately delivered. As you can see from the attached charts GM wins when it comes to Fleet cutaway business but there is a lag time as the ambulances, shuttle buses etc get their bodies upfit. A large block of these produced together under the existing inventory and pre-sold production levels can have a temporary delivery effect.
So What Are We Doing?
I thought you may be interested in a few of the activities that have been worked over the last month.
Incentives
While I cannot presently comment on some yet to be announced incentives we have made a conscious effort to be extremely (but responsibly) competitive. We have been working very closely with our Divisional Incentive teams to ensure that Express and Savana are included in planning. We have also made an effort to work with our ~500 Business Central Dealers who control about 80% of deliveries to ensure that excellent dealer programs are in place. We have incorporated feedback from our National Dealer Council and of course kept a close eye on what Ford is doing. Just yesterday we announced an incentive for Mobility Upfits. Last year Ford delivered 20,000 compared to our 250 mobility vehicles so we see this as a good opportunity. We are also encouraging dealers to equip and display vehicles for the small business person closer to the front of the dealership.
Marketing Events
We have launched our Marketing Promotional events and last month managed to meet close to 2,000 construction workers, contractors and tradesmen for lunch in Texas. We had excellent coordination with our dealer partners and Upfitters and are hopeful that this grassroots marketing directly with the customer will lead to greater consideration and sales. We participated at the Brickyard 400 with Chevrolet, sponsored and provided vans for the Chicago Breast cancer walk and have more events planned for next month that I will report to you then.
Product News
CNG Vans are now available to order and we are hoping to capture conquest sales with this new offering.
Marketing Materials
Be sure to take a look at our Savana and Express 2011MY Retail Catalogs and our Chevrolet and GMC Commercial Catalogs. We have expanded the number of pages and have included vocational appropriate photography and included cargo models to appeal to sole-trader small businesses. We have also created some additional sales materials to help push the benefits we have with our exclusive diesel and some obvious benefits we have over Transit-Connect.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
State of the Union September 2, 2010
Sept. 2, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
Postings for 63b moves will be adjusted for the Labor Day Holiday. Body shop and material openings will be posted at the main entrance through Tuesday, Sept. 7.
August sales results were announced yesterday. Here are the van numbers:
2010 2009 Change Share
Ford Econoline 10,251 5,350 + 91.6% 60.8%
GM 5,750 6,436 - 10.7% 34.1%
Mercedes Sprinter 848 --- --- 5.0%
Ford Transit 2,025 2,220 - 8.8%
GM press release: The fully integrated and dedicated Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) option, available this fall for Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans, will be priced at $15,910 MSRP, General Motors announced Tuesday. Pricing for the all-inclusive CNG option includes a dedicated CNG system ($14,590), a natural gas-capable Vortec 6.0L V8 engine ($1,295), as well as HD trailering equipment ($265). A $240 credit for deleting the spare tire brings the package price to $15,910. So the total cost of either a 2011 Chevrolet Express or 2011 GMC Savana Cargo model, which starts at $25,980 would be $41,890 with the CNG option.
• Reminder: The annual Labor Day Parade will be Monday, Sept. 6. This year’s theme is “Buck up for a Brother or Sister”. We will meet at 7 am to decorate the float at 19th Street north of Olive. We have the 8th spot in the parade, which begins at 9 am. There will be refreshments after the parade at Memorial Plaza.
See back side for some history on Labor Day
The History of Labor Day: How it Came About: What it Means
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers. Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold." But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883. In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.
Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.
Source: Department of Labor
Postings for 63b moves will be adjusted for the Labor Day Holiday. Body shop and material openings will be posted at the main entrance through Tuesday, Sept. 7.
August sales results were announced yesterday. Here are the van numbers:
2010 2009 Change Share
Ford Econoline 10,251 5,350 + 91.6% 60.8%
GM 5,750 6,436 - 10.7% 34.1%
Mercedes Sprinter 848 --- --- 5.0%
Ford Transit 2,025 2,220 - 8.8%
GM press release: The fully integrated and dedicated Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) option, available this fall for Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans, will be priced at $15,910 MSRP, General Motors announced Tuesday. Pricing for the all-inclusive CNG option includes a dedicated CNG system ($14,590), a natural gas-capable Vortec 6.0L V8 engine ($1,295), as well as HD trailering equipment ($265). A $240 credit for deleting the spare tire brings the package price to $15,910. So the total cost of either a 2011 Chevrolet Express or 2011 GMC Savana Cargo model, which starts at $25,980 would be $41,890 with the CNG option.
• Reminder: The annual Labor Day Parade will be Monday, Sept. 6. This year’s theme is “Buck up for a Brother or Sister”. We will meet at 7 am to decorate the float at 19th Street north of Olive. We have the 8th spot in the parade, which begins at 9 am. There will be refreshments after the parade at Memorial Plaza.
See back side for some history on Labor Day
The History of Labor Day: How it Came About: What it Means
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers. Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold." But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883. In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.
Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.
Source: Department of Labor
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
State of the Union September 1, 2010
Sept. 1, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
From Chairman Mike Bullock: Management has notified the union that they will be keeping 27 more members after September 10 than they had previously announced. There will be 30 members laid off now. The seniority date to hold the plant will be 9/16/99 with last four SSN 3000.
From President Dan Howell: The annual Labor Day Parade will be Monday, Sept. 6. This year’s theme is “Buck up for a Brother or Sister”. We will meet at 7 am to decorate the float at 19th Street north of Olive. We have the 8th spot in the parade, which begins at 9 am. Bring your friends and family to help decorate and there will be refreshments after the parade at Memorial Plaza. Hope to see you there.
From the Detroit News: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation into steering issues reported on the 2011 Hyundai Sonata. NHTSA said it reviewed field reports on 2011 Hyundai Sonata vehicles that allege either a separation of the intermediate steering shaft assembly upper universal joint that resulted in a complete loss of steering capability or a loosening, but not complete separation, of the upper universal joint connection. The probe covers about 16,300 2011 Hyundai Sonata vehicles, NHTSA said in a statement posted today on its website. The popular vehicle accounts for nearly half of the company's car sales.(This is strangely reminiscent of the Kia Soul steering problems, which is another Hyundai Group product)
From the Wall Street Journal: Almost 2,000 employers and unions will be eligible to submit retirees' medical bills for reimbursement by a $5 billion federal fund, the Obama administration said Tuesday, suggesting the fund will be spread widely but thinly. General Motors Co., General Electric Co., Procter & Gamble Co., PepsiCoInc., AlcoaInc., IntelCorp., and PfizerInc. are among the large corporations that the White House will say can submit retirees' health bills for reimbursement. The list includes the United Auto Workers union, state and local governments and universities. Under the program, approved employers can tap into a federal fund that will reimburse up to 80% of certain health costs for retirees between the ages of 55 and 64, or those who don't yet qualify for Medicare. Medical, surgical, hospital and prescription-drug costs are eligible for reimbursement, and employers can use the money to help reduce co-payments, deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses. Employers can submit medical claims filed since June 1.
Part two of the Jobs, Justice and Peace national agenda
Millions of Americans are hurting right now. When we help them, we’re also helping to put the economy back on track. Unemployment checks are quickly recycled as workers spend them on necessities, providing a needed boost in consumer spending. More federal assistance to states and cities will prevent layoffs, cuts in services and tax increases that threaten to further squeeze consumer demand and push the economy back into recession. A moratorium on foreclosures will not only keep families in their homes, it will help stabilize neighborhoods and protect housing values.
• Aid for the unemployed. In July, the Senate finally acted to extend unemployment benefits to jobless workers who have exhausted their 26 weeks of state benefits. That extension will run out again at the end of November. In the meantime, the COBRA subsidy that allowed many jobless workers to continue health insurance coverage for themselves and their families has been allowed to expire. So has the extra $25/week that unemployed workers were receiving as part of the Recovery Act. With more than five unemployed workers for every job opening, with the average duration of unemployment exceeding 34 weeks, with nearly 6.6 million Americans unemployed for more than six months, and with unemployment expected to remain high into 2011, Congress needs to act promptly to ensure that benefits for the long-term unemployed continue beyond November. The 65 percent COBRA premium subsidy and $25 increase in weekly benefits should both be restored immediately. Failure to do so is both cruel and economically irresponsible. It’s widely recognized by economists that assisting the unemployed is one of the most effective stimulus tools in the federal government’s arsenal. According to Mark Zandi of Moody’s Economy.com, a dollar spent on unemployment benefits increases GDP by $1.61.
• Aid for cities and states. Cities and states continue to reel from the economic downturn, and their plight is adding to our jobs crisis. State and local governments across the country have eliminated more than 300,000 jobs over the last two years. And the situation is not getting any better: the depressed economy means depressed revenues, leading most states to enact even deeper cuts in fiscal 2011. At a time when more citizens need services, services are being cut; at a time when more jobs are desperately needed, jobs are being cut; and at a time when families are watching every penny, taxes and fees are being raised. The federal government has the power to stop this destructive cycle by extending financial assistance to state and local governments. Recent Congressional action providing $26 billion for Medicaid and education was helpful, but did not go nearly far enough. The Economic Policy Institute has recommended $150 billion in federal assistance to state and local governments, estimating that those dollars would save or create between one and 1.4 million jobs.
• Direct job creation. With hiring in the private sector weak, and with states and cities cutting their own employment roles, the federal government can and should directly fund the creation of public service jobs, as it has done historically in other periods of high unemployment – most notably, during the Great Depression. The Local Jobs for America Act, introduced by Representative George Miller (D-Calif) would provide $75 billion over two years to local governments and states, targeting those communities where the need is greatest, for programs to put the unemployed to work on community service projects run by either local governments or non-profit organizations.
• Moratorium on foreclosures. Foreclosures are devastating neighborhoods in Detroit and across the country, sending out ripples of pain – from the families who are losing their homes, to neighbors whose property values are plummeting, to entire communities confronting abandonment and blight. According to RealtyTrac, there were 11,889 homes in foreclosure in the city of Detroit in July, and 100,995 across the state of Michigan. Despite $75 billion in funding for mortgage modifications to assist beleaguered homeowners, financial institutions are dragging their feet. According to the most recent report of the Making Home Affordable Program, out of more than 3 million eligible loans nationally, only 1.3 million have had trial modifications initiated – and a mere 421,804 have a permanent modification in place. In Michigan, through July, only 14,525 homeowners had received a permanent modification of their mortgage loan. Meanwhile, foreclosures mount – another 18,833 were filed in Michigan in July, according to RealtyTrac. To give struggling families a meaningful opportunity to save their homes (and to create a meaningful push for lenders to work with them toward that end), we support legislation (S.B. 29) introduced in the Michigan state legislature to establish a 2-year moratorium on foreclosures.
From Chairman Mike Bullock: Management has notified the union that they will be keeping 27 more members after September 10 than they had previously announced. There will be 30 members laid off now. The seniority date to hold the plant will be 9/16/99 with last four SSN 3000.
From President Dan Howell: The annual Labor Day Parade will be Monday, Sept. 6. This year’s theme is “Buck up for a Brother or Sister”. We will meet at 7 am to decorate the float at 19th Street north of Olive. We have the 8th spot in the parade, which begins at 9 am. Bring your friends and family to help decorate and there will be refreshments after the parade at Memorial Plaza. Hope to see you there.
From the Detroit News: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation into steering issues reported on the 2011 Hyundai Sonata. NHTSA said it reviewed field reports on 2011 Hyundai Sonata vehicles that allege either a separation of the intermediate steering shaft assembly upper universal joint that resulted in a complete loss of steering capability or a loosening, but not complete separation, of the upper universal joint connection. The probe covers about 16,300 2011 Hyundai Sonata vehicles, NHTSA said in a statement posted today on its website. The popular vehicle accounts for nearly half of the company's car sales.(This is strangely reminiscent of the Kia Soul steering problems, which is another Hyundai Group product)
From the Wall Street Journal: Almost 2,000 employers and unions will be eligible to submit retirees' medical bills for reimbursement by a $5 billion federal fund, the Obama administration said Tuesday, suggesting the fund will be spread widely but thinly. General Motors Co., General Electric Co., Procter & Gamble Co., PepsiCoInc., AlcoaInc., IntelCorp., and PfizerInc. are among the large corporations that the White House will say can submit retirees' health bills for reimbursement. The list includes the United Auto Workers union, state and local governments and universities. Under the program, approved employers can tap into a federal fund that will reimburse up to 80% of certain health costs for retirees between the ages of 55 and 64, or those who don't yet qualify for Medicare. Medical, surgical, hospital and prescription-drug costs are eligible for reimbursement, and employers can use the money to help reduce co-payments, deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses. Employers can submit medical claims filed since June 1.
Part two of the Jobs, Justice and Peace national agenda
Millions of Americans are hurting right now. When we help them, we’re also helping to put the economy back on track. Unemployment checks are quickly recycled as workers spend them on necessities, providing a needed boost in consumer spending. More federal assistance to states and cities will prevent layoffs, cuts in services and tax increases that threaten to further squeeze consumer demand and push the economy back into recession. A moratorium on foreclosures will not only keep families in their homes, it will help stabilize neighborhoods and protect housing values.
• Aid for the unemployed. In July, the Senate finally acted to extend unemployment benefits to jobless workers who have exhausted their 26 weeks of state benefits. That extension will run out again at the end of November. In the meantime, the COBRA subsidy that allowed many jobless workers to continue health insurance coverage for themselves and their families has been allowed to expire. So has the extra $25/week that unemployed workers were receiving as part of the Recovery Act. With more than five unemployed workers for every job opening, with the average duration of unemployment exceeding 34 weeks, with nearly 6.6 million Americans unemployed for more than six months, and with unemployment expected to remain high into 2011, Congress needs to act promptly to ensure that benefits for the long-term unemployed continue beyond November. The 65 percent COBRA premium subsidy and $25 increase in weekly benefits should both be restored immediately. Failure to do so is both cruel and economically irresponsible. It’s widely recognized by economists that assisting the unemployed is one of the most effective stimulus tools in the federal government’s arsenal. According to Mark Zandi of Moody’s Economy.com, a dollar spent on unemployment benefits increases GDP by $1.61.
• Aid for cities and states. Cities and states continue to reel from the economic downturn, and their plight is adding to our jobs crisis. State and local governments across the country have eliminated more than 300,000 jobs over the last two years. And the situation is not getting any better: the depressed economy means depressed revenues, leading most states to enact even deeper cuts in fiscal 2011. At a time when more citizens need services, services are being cut; at a time when more jobs are desperately needed, jobs are being cut; and at a time when families are watching every penny, taxes and fees are being raised. The federal government has the power to stop this destructive cycle by extending financial assistance to state and local governments. Recent Congressional action providing $26 billion for Medicaid and education was helpful, but did not go nearly far enough. The Economic Policy Institute has recommended $150 billion in federal assistance to state and local governments, estimating that those dollars would save or create between one and 1.4 million jobs.
• Direct job creation. With hiring in the private sector weak, and with states and cities cutting their own employment roles, the federal government can and should directly fund the creation of public service jobs, as it has done historically in other periods of high unemployment – most notably, during the Great Depression. The Local Jobs for America Act, introduced by Representative George Miller (D-Calif) would provide $75 billion over two years to local governments and states, targeting those communities where the need is greatest, for programs to put the unemployed to work on community service projects run by either local governments or non-profit organizations.
• Moratorium on foreclosures. Foreclosures are devastating neighborhoods in Detroit and across the country, sending out ripples of pain – from the families who are losing their homes, to neighbors whose property values are plummeting, to entire communities confronting abandonment and blight. According to RealtyTrac, there were 11,889 homes in foreclosure in the city of Detroit in July, and 100,995 across the state of Michigan. Despite $75 billion in funding for mortgage modifications to assist beleaguered homeowners, financial institutions are dragging their feet. According to the most recent report of the Making Home Affordable Program, out of more than 3 million eligible loans nationally, only 1.3 million have had trial modifications initiated – and a mere 421,804 have a permanent modification in place. In Michigan, through July, only 14,525 homeowners had received a permanent modification of their mortgage loan. Meanwhile, foreclosures mount – another 18,833 were filed in Michigan in July, according to RealtyTrac. To give struggling families a meaningful opportunity to save their homes (and to create a meaningful push for lenders to work with them toward that end), we support legislation (S.B. 29) introduced in the Michigan state legislature to establish a 2-year moratorium on foreclosures.
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